Fox President Of Alternative Programming Mike Darnell To … 
FIRST BOX OFFICE: ‘Fast & Furious 6′ Easy … 
NBC Sets Oklahoma Tornado Benefit Concert For May 29 
Cannes: Directors’ Fortnight Honors ‘Les … 
SHOCKER: Tom Cruise Exits ‘Man From … 
A+E Rebuild: BBC’s Jana Bennett To Run Bio And LMN … 
RATINGS RAT RACE: ‘Hannibal’ Hits Low, … 
‘Katie’ Shakeup: Rachel Miskowiec Replaces … 
Hammond On Cannes: French Hero Jerry Lewis On His Return To … 
Cannes: Another Jewelry Heist? $2.6M Necklace Missing After … 
Hammond On Cannes: Leo DiCaprio’s Moon Trip Tops … 
Specialty B.O. Preview: ‘Before Midnight’, … 
2012-2013 Season Network Rankings: CBS Sweeps In Final … 
Full 2012-2013 TV Season Series Rankings 
TOLDJA! Paramount Pocketing $190M From Disney For Marvel … 
‘Good Morning America’ Hits 19-Year Viewership … 
MGM Buys ‘Modern Family’ Producer Ben … 
‘Fashion Police’ Writers Chant On Picket Lines: … 
Universal Makes Seven-Figure Deal For ‘The School For … 
Steven Soderbergh Will Interrupt Retirement To Direct And … 
Cannes: EOne Announces Itself As Player In U.S. … 
EXCLUSIVE: HBO has decided not move forward with 40, the comedy pilot from Entourage creator Doug Ellin. The single-camera ensemble originally revolved around four lifelong friends — played in the pilot by Ed Burns, Michael Rapaport, Michael Imperioli and Adrian Pasdar — who help each other navigate life at 40, which isn’t all they expected it to be. After the pilot was shot in the fall, HBO and Ellin took a stab at reworking the project with rewrites, but the network ultimately opted not to proceed. Ellin is under an overall deal at HBO and will continue to develop for the pay cable network. In addition to 40, he also executive produced the HBO drama pilot Da Brick last year, which remains in contention.
TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.
Loading ...
Nice to see the sheen on Ellin finally wearing off…
His stuff belongs on SPIKE, not HBO.
+1
It’s funny you say that because repeats of “Entourage” have tanked on Spike.
Entourage was great up until the Mandy Moore storyline in the second season, where it went from being light and funny and half-a-satire to a full-on circle jerk. (With exceptions… the documentary episode was great IMO). And when you approach the concept of “celebrity” with a straight face, you’re just begging to be called out as a shallow, privileged asshole.
I wasn’t looking forward to watching a bunch of forty-something fist-bumpers, so thanks HBO!
You had me until “Entourage was great…”
I think as much as all of us are salivating for the next Ed Burns vehicle, we’ll get over it.
hilarious. and ouch! nice guy, though.
Don’t worry, Ellin, if there’s anything I learned from Entourage, it’s that everything will work out
And everyone gets paid.
“40″ sounds like “Men of A Certain Age.”
It’s such a shame. The first 2 seasons of Entourage are so good. Then the show took some strange turn. One can conjecture for hours as to why the show veered off the proverbial tracks. Was it arrogance? Was the content never meant to stretch beyond 2 seasons?
Ellin’s still a major talent. He’ll set something else up, something closer to his heart, probably. It’s the whole 2nd album problem. Having success like that with HBO can’t be that easy.
Anyway, kudos to his future.
I read the script, and it was pretty bad. I’m shocked they even shot a pilot.
that is one hell of a cast not to get a series order at HBO…The Pilot must have really sucked
It reminds me of that Showtime show a few years back though with John Corbett,Kevin Smith…The Cable network must not want shows about men in there last 30s/early 40s
What? Four 40 year old men bitchin’ and moanin’ about their lives and the darned economy(!) wasn’t hilarious nor dramatically compelling? Go figure.
Ellin is one of the best comedy writers around but when he tries to mix in drama it just doesn’t work. The final season of ENTOURAGE was self-indulgent dreck, which is not to say that Ellin couldn’t learn to write good drama, just to say that at present he doesn’t have the skill set. I hope he puts together another light, fun, escapist comedy since this is where he excels. Also couldn’t hurt if he did some work in features.
I think Doug Ellin is a terrible comedy writer. And drama writer. Read a script of Entourage and I dare you to pronounce it good writing.
The guy’s an asshole. Karma bizzitches.
At least there’s one good piece of news today!
Had a job interview to be his assistant, didn’t get it. Now feel better about that.
Man..those 4 actors can’t catch a break anywhere.
On TNT they called it “Men of a Certain Age,” Mr. Originality.
That was “50″
Just curious: Could this guy possible be as big a douche as everyone says he is? Never heard a nice thing about him.
Ellin fans are the most loyal in the industry. He should do something a bit edgier than 40. That is what made Entourage such a surprising hit.
Lots of Love Doug!
Are you sure the decision to move forward was based on the pilot, or the fact the last 4 seasons of Entourage were so bad they could have been written by Vincent Chase himself?
I’m pretty sure Turtle was the head writer the final season… cause that shit was dope, yo!
HBO is usually very creatively openminded and patient, so this pilot must have been really bad hence the multiple rewrites, Doug Ellin did appear to have lost his touch in the later years of Entourage raising the question if his best creative years are behind him,i for one think that an Entourage movie will be a commercial failure, however a 2 hr. entourage TV movie on HBO as opposed to a theatrical version, could work as a nice series farewell
Doug Ellin has absolutely no talent whatsoever. The guy cannot write. Entourage was just the lazy, dumb fun of watching guys in Hollywood, it was atrocious writing. His time has passed.
Doug Ellin a nice guy. But he’s the emperor with no clothes when it comes to writing. Entourage was lightening in a bottle and if it weren’t for Mark Wahlberg’s involvement, I don’t know it becomes the hit it was.
He should focus on making Aquaman and Medellin
Definitely derivative of Mind of a Married Man, but how did Lena Dunham’s show go and this didn’t?
Judd Apatow. HBO wants to say from the CREATORS of “KNOCKED UP” and “40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN” — not Entourage.
Dunham’s show is very inexpensive for the network. I can only imagine what the expenses of “40″ would have been with the salaries/egos of the main actors involved.
Sounds like Doug really shit the bed with this one.
Entourage was fun until Vince inexplicably fell in love with a porn star (played badly by a real porn star) who specialized in anal. At that point the show turned to shit.
totally. TOTALLY AGREE!